Releasing device.



W. B. HAMMOND;

RELEASING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1914.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

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Va; MAJ/ THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 90.. WASHINGTDN, D. c.

TED s'rATEs wrman'nroncnn HAMMOND, or niaOor'aaixTr1, MASSACI-IUSETTS.

nELEAs s DEV C I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 19.16.

Application filed November 25, 1914. Serial ITo. 874,014.

1 To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVILBERroRcn B. HA MOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookline, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Releasing Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in; the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a releasing device for stored power operated mechanism.

More particularly, the invention relates to a releasing device for a spring operated member in which the spring is placed under stress and released to permit the spring to give motion to the member or to a train of mechanism connected with the member.

In the application of this invention the member stored with power is locked to a retarding releasing device which is adapted to hold the member in its position of stress for a period of time, at the expiration of which the member will be released to exert its. power. The period to elapse between the time of locking the member to the releasing device, and the time when the member is released to exert its power, may be an indeterminate period for some types of apparatus, or may be accurately determined in order to definitely know when the power of the member will be exerted in other types of apparatus. With either type of apparatus it is desirable that the construction of the releasing device be simple, yet reliable and certain in its action. A specific use to which such a device may be put is in toys, where a spring attached to the toy is connected under stress to a releasing device. In such an article the time for releasing the spring is preferably indefinite, for the purpose of amusement, and in such case it is only important that the releasing device be certain in its operation, The releasing device may also be connected with power operated mechanism for exploding bombs, or to delay the firing period of hand grenades. In such case it is important that the period to elapse for releasing the power member should be definite, in order to get the desired results. WVhen the bomb or grenade is exploded the device would be destroyed, so that such a use requires that the releasing device be cheap, while being accurate and reliable in action.

Further, as a definite. period time releasing device it may be employed for protographic exposing and printing, and many other uses.

The object of theinvention is to provide a releasing device for stored power operated mechanism which is simple and inexpensive 1n construction, yet-,reliable and certain in action, so that it may be set to release the power member at the expiration of anindee terminate or a determined period. In accordance with this object, the invention contemplates the .provision of a retarding releasing device consisting of two relatively movable members and a plastic viscid orwax-like substance between them which acts to, retard their relative movement. The members are preferably in the form of a container for the retarding substance and a plow adapted to force itsway through the substance. The, power member is connected under stress with the releasing device in such a manner that its power acts to move the movable member of the releasing device,

and by this movement the power member is released from said device to exert its power. The relative movement of the members of the releasing device is retarded by a definite resistance due to the presence ofthe waxlike substance between them, so that the distance of the travel determines the period of release.

To the accomplishment of these objects, and such others as may hereinafter appear, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, the invention comprises features and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 1 v

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichi Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, showing the power mechanism in released position; Fig. 2 isa front elevation, partly in section, of the device, showing the member stored with power connected with the retarding device; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on. the line 33 ofFig. 2, showing the setting ofthe releasing device; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation ofthe device, showing the relation of the parts of the retarding device when the power member hasbeen released; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a detail view taken on the line 6.6 of Fig. 4, showing the plow of the retarding device. V

In the e bodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, a power member consisting of a spring 10 is mounted at one end on a plunger 12, and at the other end to a frame 14, for supporting the apparatus. The spring is inclosed in a tube 16 to shield it from associated parts. The plunger 12 has a catch 18 at its lower end which is adapted to be locked by engagement with a jaw 20 of a trip lever 22. The trip lever is pivoted on the frame in the path of movement of the catch, so that as the plunger is pushed up to put the spring under tension, the jaw 20 engages with the catch to hold the plunger in raised position. The trip lever is slidably mountedon a fulcrum pin 24 by means of a slot 26 which provides for a movement of the lever 22 along the pin to permit the catch 18 to pass the jaw 20 on the trip lever when raising the plunger. As the catch moves up with the plunger to crowd back the trip lever along the slot, the lever is yieldingly held by a spring 28, so that when the catch has been raised above the aw, the jaw will be snapped thereunder to hold the power spring under tension. The tension of the spring 10 now tends to rotate the trip lever around the pin 24, and a fulcrum dog 30 on the trip lever 22 which rests against the catch (see Fig. 3) tends to push the slot 26 of the lever across the pin 24 and release the jaw from the catch. The rotation of the trip lever to release the catch is retarded by a releasing device consisting of a rod 32 fixed upon a bracket 33 of the machine frame, and a container 36 filled with a plastic substance 38 which surrounds the rod. The plastic or adhesive substance in the container consists of shoemakers wax, model: ing wax, or similar viscid substance, which has been treated to be less sticky than shoemakers wax. This substance tends to adhere to the container and rod so as to resist the relative movement between them. The rod is also preferably provided with a projection or projections 84, so that it will act as a retarding plow which displaces the plastic or adhesive substance during the relative movement of the container and rod. The container is movably mounted on the rod by means of a stuffing box 40 which has a graphite packing 42 therein to prevent the wax from working into the joint between the plow and container. The trip lever is connected .with the container by means of a pair of arms 44 on itsbifurcated end which are held in engagement by the spring 28 with a pair of diametrically arranged lugs 46 on the stuffing box. With this structure, as the spring 10 rotates the trip lever the arms 44 move the container 36 away from the plunger 12. As the container is moved to force the rodor plow through the wax, the resistance offered by the wax is practically constant, so that the period of retardation of movement of the container in releasing the plunger will depend upon the extent of travel of the container. Under some condi tions the wax may settle or become hard, so that it is desirable to so shape the plow projections 34 that they will loosen up the wax if the container is rotated and moved back and forth along the rod.

The above described releasing device is well suited to be applied to a toy, since the position of the container relative to the plow may be varied, and therefore the period for releasing the spring when set under tension is indeterminate. \Vhen the device is to be used for a time releasing device of a definite period, however, a scale 50 is mounted on a slotted arm fixed to the frame at the side of the container, which acts as a means for definitely positioning the container to determine the period of release. An adjustable pointer 52 is placed in the slot for registering with the scale, and the pointer carries a block 54 on the opposite side of the scale. This block lies in the path of movement of a lug 56 011 the container, and serves to determine the forward position of the container for holding the trip latch in position to lock the spring under tension. By adjust ing the block 54 along the scale 50 to determine the forward position of the container, the distance of travel of the container in releasing the plunger, and thus the time of releasing, can be accurately determined.

The member shown in the illustrated embodiment for the stored power consists of a spring to be placed under tension, but from the above described mechanism it is obvious that any member capable of having stored power, such as various kinds of springs, or an elastic member to be put under tension, or a piston to be compressed in a cylinder, could be locked to the releasing device preparatory to being released to exert their power. Further, the spring, elastic member or piston, need not be the sole means of movement, but may act as a starting member to place other sets of mechanism in motion.

While the particulars of construction herein set forth are well suited for one form of the invention such as used in a toy, it is not to be understood that these particulars are essential, since they may be variously modified without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described mechanism in which it may be embodied, what I claim is 1. A releasing device, having, in combination, a spring, a trip lever, a latch connected with the spring adapted to be connected with said lever to hold the spring under tension, a retarding device to hold the lever with the spring under tension comprising a plow, a container, a plastic substance acting between the container and plow whereby the relative movement of the container and plow under the action of the spring is retarded in releasing the catch from the lever, due to the resistance caused by the plastic substance.

2. A releasing device, having, in combination, a member adapted to be placed under tension, a trip lever for holding said member under tension, a container movably connected with said lever, a plow within the container, and a viscid plastic substance between the plow and container for retarding the movement of the container relatively to the plow when moved by the member.

3. A releasing device, having, in combination, a member for stored power, a retarding device comprising a plow and a container relatively movable to one another, plastic resistance giving substance between the plow and the container, and means for connecting the member stored with power to the retarding device whereby movement of the retarding device by the power member will release the connection between them.

4. A releasing device, having, in combination, a frame, a tension spring, a plunger connected with said spring having a latch, a trip lever with a pivoted slot mounted in said frame, a retarding device consisting of a plow and a container filled with a wax-like substance surrounding said plow, connecting means between said lever and retarding device, and a fulcrum dog on said lever for releasing the latch as the lever is rotated under the tension of the spring.

5. A releasing device, having, in combination, a frame, a tension spring mounted in said frame, a trip lever pivoted to the frame, means for connecting the spring to the trip lever, a retarding device for retarding the movement of the trip lever under the tension of the spring comprising a container for a viscid substance and a plow in said sub stance, and means to set the container to vary the period of release of the spring.

6. A releasing device, having, in combination, a frame, a member mounted in said frame adapted to be stored with power,

means for holding said member when stored with power, retarding mechanism cooperating with said means to release the power of said member comprising a plow and a con tainer having adhesive substance held between them to delay movement of the plow through said substance.

7. A releasing device, having, in combination, a frame, a spring mounted upon the frame, a retarding mechanism comprising a fixed plow, a container surrounding said plow, a scale mounted on said frame, means for connecting said spring with the concopies of this patent may be obtained for tainer whereby the tension of the spring will move the container relatively to the plow to release the spring, means co-acting between the container and plow to give resistance to the movement of the container relatively to the plow. and means to set the container upon the scale to vary the time of movement of the container in releasing the spring.

8. A releasing device, having, in combination, a member adapted to be stored with power, a retarding device for releasing said member when stored with power comprising a fixed member, a movable member and a plastic cohesive substance held between them for resisting the movement of the movable member, and means for connecting the member stored with power to said retarding device.

9. A releasing device, having, in combination, a member adapted to be stored with power, a releasing device for releasing said member when stored with power comprising a fixed member, a movable member and a wax-like substance held between them for resisting the movement of the movable member, means for connecting the member stored with power to said retarding device, and means for setting the retardingv device to predetermine the releasing period.

10. A releasing device, having, in combination, a member adapted to be stored with power and a retarding device for gradually releasing the power of said member comprising a fixed member, a movable member,

and an adhesive substance between them for Iigesisting the movement of the movable mem- 11. A releasing device, having, in combination, a member adapted to be stored with power and a releasing device for gradually releasing and then entirely liberating the power of said member comprising a fixed member, a connecting means for the power member, and an adhesive substance between said means and the fixed member for resisting a movement of said means.

12. A releasing device, having, in combination, a frame, a member adapted to be stored with power attached to said frame and a releasing device for gradually releasing the power of said member comprising a connector for connecting said power member under stress to a part of said frame, and an adhesive substance between the connector and the part of the frame to resist a movement of the connector in releasing the power of the power member.

VVILBERFORCE B. HAMMOND.

Witnesses:

Gno. E. STEBBINs, EDMUND Gr. BORDEN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

